80 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean 7 letters on stationery marked “Jean” (4) or “Mermoz” (3), Paris, August 1924 and undated, to his “Dearest Mom”; 17 pages in-8, and 2 pages in-4 (on Café Restaurant Curveur letterhead). Awaiting a job offer, after having sent his application to Latécoère. Thursday. He has heard nothing from Suresnes. Max Delty introduced him to the chief of staff of the Minister of War, who “will speak to Laurent Eynac about me. Perhaps there will be the long-desired outcome on that front”… August 5. “The Suresnes C.A.P. wrote to me saying they were forced to postpone my call-up for a month or two, as the mission to Spain cannot take place at this time due to a lack of funds.” Doerflinger, chief pilot at Latécoère, gave him some information “and told me to submit my job application; he’ll take it upon himself to recommend me and is giving me hope”… – August 16. He is awaiting a response from Latécoère: “I’m so impatient and so down in the dumps that time seems to drag on. This can’t go on any longer. I dread the prospect of returning to the army. I’m completely fed up with aviation and everything else”… – August 28. Doerflinger recommended him to Didier Daurat, chief of operations at Latécoère, who was on an inspection tour: “So I have a glimmer of hope again! If only it could finally come true! How happy I would be!” ” He went to see Captain Schmeiltz, his former squadron commander in Lebanon: “I was so desperate that I was fully resolved to re-enlist”… Tuesday. Nothing new: “I don’t expect to hear from Latécoère for about eight days; the director is partly on a month-long inspection tour that began shortly before I sent my request. […] Something tells me it’s going to work out, and yet… Well, if it doesn’t, I’ll just have to write to Capt. Schmeiltz and it’ll be over with quickly”… – Saturday. “Laurent Eynac writes to the Minister of War that he’s looking out for me regarding Air-Union and Franco-Roumaine, with whom he’s established contact […] You’ll see that Latécoère will reply to me almost at the same time, and I’ll be spoiled for choice. I just hope so, but I’m not getting my hopes up”… – Wednesday. “Still no reply from Latécoère; it’s been ten days since I wrote to them. There’s still no time to lose”… Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family